Police Wages

Police wages are in the press again today, not because the 'powers that be' have done the right thing and decided to honour a 27 year old police pay agreement, but due to a press release by the Police Federation concerning the highly publicised government pushed PCSO recruitment drive.

Responding to the announcement by the Home Secretary about a new recruitment campaign to increase the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) by 10,000, to help achieve the Government's target of recruiting 16,000 PCSOs by spring 2007, Alan Gordon, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said:

"Whilst it is true that we now have a record number of police officers, that will not be sustainable in the future if we continue to recruit vast numbers of Police Community Support Officers. Chief Officers do not have an endless pot of cash and early indications are that many will employ greater numbers of PCSOs at the expense of police officers.

"The sooner the government is honest about the situation the sooner we can have a serious public debate about the future of policing. On the one hand they appear to be applying pressure to the independent Police Negotiating Board to reject an agreed pay deal which has operated for police officers for the last 27 years, whilst on the other hand magically producing millions to ensure PCSO numbers are increased to 16,000 by next spring.

"The irony of the situation will not be lost on 141,000 demoralised police officers throughout England and Wales who hear words of praise from the Home Secretary about our professional handling of the ongoing terrorist situation whilst they are treated with such contempt by the government when it comes to honouring an agreed pay arrangement."

For further on the police wages issue check:
3%? We’ll be lucky...
Police Pay Crisis End In Sight
Police Officers Can't Afford Mortgages
Police Pay Increase Refused
Police Work To Rule
UK Police Numbers
Police Pay